Accreditation Assures Quality

In the United States, accreditation is a non-governmental, peer-review process that assures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. Academic programs volunteer to undergo this review periodically to determine if certain criteria are being met.It is important to understand, however, that accreditation is not a ranking system. It is simply assurance that a program or institution meets established quality standards.

The Society of American Foresters is responsible for the accreditation of postsecondary degree-granting programs in forestry and natural resources. It does not accredit departments, colleges, or institutions. Many forestry and natural resources academic programs across the country offer a diversity of options or curriculum choices within a degree program - not all are accredited. The listings below categorize accredited curricular options within degree programs according to the standard under which they are accredited and candidate curricular options under the standard for which they have candidacy status.